US 7,125,301 B2 · Brief-type personal flotation unit

Abstract

A personal flotation unit for supporting a person in a generally sitting position in the water, with the person's head and part of the person's torso above the water has a rear panel and a front panel each made from a flexible flotation material. A fabric seat is connected between bottom edges of the panels. Left edges of the panels are connected by strapping of some kind, as are the right edges of the panels. The seat and the strapping cooperate to form the panels into a diaper or pair of shorts that provides flotation allowing the user to sit in an upright position in water. Preferably the front panel has a T shape with arms that during use are bent backwards by the strapping to provide lateral flotation support for the wearer.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A personal flotation unit for supporting a person in a generally sitting position in the water, with the person's head and part of the person's torso above the water, said flotation unit having:

a) a rear panel comprising at least one block of flotation material, said rear panel having upper, lower, left, and right edges;
b) a front panel comprising at least one block of flotation material, said front panel having upper, lower, left, and right edges, said front panel being generally T-shaped with side sections forming the arms of the T and whose left and right edges form the front panel left and right edges, and with a stem section having a minimum width;
c) a seat comprising flexible material, said seat having a back edge attached to the rear panel's bottom edge and a front edge attached to the front panel's bottom edge;
and
d) strapping connecting the left edge of the front panel to the left edge of the rear panel and the right edge of front panel to the right edge of the rear panel.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Brief-type personal flotation unit

Life of this patent

Brief-type personal flotation unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16